over

over again Go to (all) over again.

over and above something more than some-

thing; in addition to something. (Infor-

mal.) I’ll need another twenty dollars

over and above the amount you have al-

ready given me. You’ve been eating too

much food—over and above what is re-

quired for good nutrition. That’s why

you’re gaining weight.

over and done with finished. (Informal.)

I’m glad that’s over and done with.

Now that I have college over and done

with, I can get a job.

over and over (again) repeatedly. She

stamped her foot over and over again.

Bill whistled the same song over and over.

over my dead body not if I can stop you.

(Slang. It means that you’ll have to kill

me to prevent me from keeping you from

doing something.) Over my dead body

you’ll sell this house! You want to quit

college? Over my dead body!

over someone’s head too difficult or clever

for someone to understand. (Also literal.)

The children have no idea what the new

teacher is talking about. Her ideas are way

over their heads.  She enrolled in a

physics course, but it turned out to be miles

over her head.

over the hill overage; too old to do some-

thing. (Informal.) Now that Mary’s

forty, she thinks she’s over the hill. My

grandfather was over eighty before he felt

as if he was over the hill.

over the hump over the difficult part. (In-

formal.) This is a difficult project, but

we’re over the hump now. I’m halfway

through—over the hump—and it looks as

if I may get finished after all.

over there Go to (way) over there.

over the short haul for the immediate fu-

ture. Over the short haul, you’d be bet-

ter off to put your money in the bank.

Over the short haul, you may wish you had

done something different. But things will

work out all right.

over the top 1. having gained more than

one’s goal. Our fund-raising campaign

went over the top by $3,000. We didn’t

go over the top. We didn’t even get half of

what we set out to collect. 2. excessive; be-

yond the pale; overdone. Her imitation

of the president was over the top and com-

pletely offensive. This is not satire! It is

cruel and over the top.

over with Go to (all) over with.

owing to because of something; due to the

fact of something. Owing to the late-

ness of the evening, I must go home. We

were late owing to the heavy traffic.

own up (to something) to confess to some-

I know you broke the window.

Come on and own up to it. The boy

holding the baseball bat owned up. What

else could he do?

order

the order of the day something necessary

or usual; an overriding necessity.

Warm clothes are the order of the day

when camping in the winter. Going to

bed early was the order of the day when we

were young.

order someone about and order someone

around to give commands to someone.

I don’t like for someone to order me

about. Don’t order me around!

order someone around Go to order someone

about.

order something to go Go to buy something to

go.

the other side of the tracks the poorer

section of town or the richer section of

town, depending on perspective. (Also

literal. Usually refers to the wrong side

of the tracks.) He is from a wealthy

family and I am from a very humble back-

ground, but he is the first boy I have met

from the other side of the tracks, and I

want to marry him. I hear he is dating

someone from the other side of the tracks.

other things being equal if things stay the

way they are now; if there were no com-

plications by other factors. Other things

being equal, we should have no trouble get-

ting your order to you on time. I antic-

ipate no problems, other things being

equal.

the other way round the reverse; the op-

posite. No, it won’t fit that way. Try it

the other way round. It doesn’t make

any sense like that. It belongs the other way

round.

An ounce of prevention is worth a

pound of cure. It is easier and better to

prevent something bad than to deal with

the results. When you ride in a car,

buckle your seat belt. An ounce of preven-

tion is worth a pound of cure. Every

child should be vaccinated against polio.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound

of cure.

out and about able to go out and travel

around. Beth has been ill, but now she’s

out and about. As soon as I feel better,

I’ll be able to get out and about.

out cold and out like a light unconscious.

I fell and hit my head. I was out cold

for about a minute. Tom fainted! He’s

out like a light!

out from under (something) free and clear

of something; no longer bearing a (figu-

rative) burden. I’ll feel much better

when I’m out from under this project.

Now that I’m out from under, I can relax.

out front in the front of one’s house.

mailbox is out front. We have a spruce

tree out front and a maple tree in the back.

out in force appearing in great numbers.

(See also in force.) What a night! The

mosquitoes are out in force. The police

were out in force over the holiday weekend.

out in left field offbeat; unusual and ec-

centric. (Literal in reference to a base-

ball field. Informal. See also come out of

left field.) Sally is a lot of fun, but she’s

sort of out in left field. What a strange

idea. It’s really out in left field.

out like a light Go to out cold.

out of a clear blue sky and out of the

blue suddenly; without warning. (See

also like a bolt out of the blue.) Then,

out of a clear blue sky, he told me he was

leaving. Mary appeared on my doorstep

out of the blue.

out of (all) proportion of an exaggerated

proportion; of an unrealistic proportion

compared to something else; (figura-

tively) lopsided. This problem has

grown out of all proportion. Yes, this

thing is way out of proportion.

out of bounds 1. outside the boundaries

of the playing area. (In various sports.)

The ball went out of bounds, but the ref-

eree didn’t notice. The play ended when

Sally ran out of bounds. 2. unreasonable.

(Informal.) Your demands are totally

out of bounds. Your request for money

is out of bounds. 3. Go to off limits.

out of character 1. unlike one’s usual be-

havior. Ann’s remark was quite out of

character. It was out of character for

Ann to act so stubborn. 2. inappropriate

for the character that an actor is playing.

Bill went out of character when the au-

dience started giggling. Bill played the

part so well that it was hard for him to get

out of character after the performance.

out of circulation 1. no longer available

for use or lending. (Usually said of library

materials.) I’m sorry, but the book you

want is temporarily out of circulation.

How long will it be out of circulation? 2.

not interacting socially with other peo-

ple. (Informal.) I don’t know what’s

happening because I’ve been out of circu-

lation for a while. My cold has kept me

out of circulation for a few weeks.

out of commission 1. [for a ship] to be

not currently in use or under command.

This vessel will remain out of commis-

sion for another month. The ship has

been out of commission since repairs be-

gan. 2. broken, unserviceable, or inop-

erable. My watch is out of commission

and is running slow. I can’t run in the

marathon because my knees are out of

commission.

out of condition Go to out of shape.

out of consideration (for someone or some-

thing) with consideration for someone or

something; with kind regard for someone

or something. Out of consideration for

your past efforts, I will do what you ask.

They let me do it out of consideration. It

was very thoughtful of them.

out of control and out of hand uncon-

trollable; wild and unruly. The party

got out of control about midnight, and the

neighbors called the police. We tried to

keep things from getting out of hand.

out of courtesy (to someone) in order to

be polite to someone; out of consideration

for someone. We invited Mary’s brother

out of courtesy to her. They invited me

out of courtesy.

out-of-date old-fashioned; out of style; ob-

solete. (See also go out of style.) Isn’t

that suit sort of out-of-date?  All my

clothes are out-of-date.

out of earshot too far from the source of

a sound to hear the sound. I was out

of earshot and could not hear the conver-

sation. Mary waited until her children

were out of earshot before mentioning the

party to Bill.

out of fashion Go to out of style.

out of favor (with someone) no longer de-

sirable or preferred by someone. I can’t

ask John to help. I’m out of favor with him.

That kind of thing has been out of fa-

vor for years.

out of gas 1. having no gasoline (in a car,

truck, etc.). We can’t go any farther.

We’re out of gas. This car will be com-

pletely out of gas in a few more miles. 2.

tired; exhausted; worn out. (Informal.)

What a day! I’ve been working since morn-

ing, and I’m really out of gas. This elec-

tric clock is out of gas. I’ll have to get a new

out of hand 1. Go to out of control. 2. im-

mediately and without consulting any-

one; without delay. I can’t answer that

out of hand. I’ll check with the manager

and call you back. The offer was so good

that I accepted it out of hand.

out of it Go to out to lunch.

out of keeping (with something) not fol-

lowing the rules of something; out of ac-

cord with something. (Compare this

with in keeping (with something).) The

length of this report is out of keeping with

your request. I didn’t even read it be-

cause it was so much out of keeping.

out of kilter 1. out of balance; crooked or

tilted. (Slang.) John, your tie is sort of

out of kilter. Let me fix it.  Please

straighten the picture on the wall. It’s out

of kilter. 2. malfunctioning; on the fritz.

(Slang.) My furnace is out of kilter. I

have to call someone to fix it. This com-

puter is out of kilter. It doesn’t work.

out of line 1. Go to out of line (with some-

thing). 2. improper. I’m afraid that your

behavior was quite out of line. I do not

wish to speak further about this matter.

Bill, that remark was out of line. Please be

more respectful.

out of line (with something) 1. not prop-

erly lined up in a line of things. I told

you not to get out of line. Now, get back

in line. One of those books on the shelf

is out of line with the others. Please fix it.

2. unreasonable when compared to

something (else). The cost of this meal

is out of line with what other restaurants

charge. Your request is out of line.

out of luck without good luck; having bad

fortune. (Informal.) If you wanted

some ice cream, you’re out of luck. I was

out of luck. I got there too late to get a seat.

out of necessity because of necessity; due

to need. I bought this hat out of neces-

sity. I needed one, and this was all there

was. We sold our car out of necessity.

out of one’s element not in a natural or

comfortable situation. (Compare this

with in one’s element.) When it comes

to computers, I’m out of my element.

Sally’s out of her element in math.

out of one’s head Go to out of one’s mind.

out of one’s mind and out of one’s head;

out of one’s senses silly and senseless;

crazy; irrational. Why did you do that?

You must be out of your mind! Good

grief, Tom! You have to be out of your

head! She’s acting as if she were out of

her senses.

out of one’s senses Go to out of one’s mind.

out of order 1. not in the correct order.

This book is out of order. Please put it in

the right place on the shelf. You’re out

of order, John. Please get in line after Jane.

2. not following correct parliamentary

procedure. I was declared out of order

by the president. Ann inquired, “Isn’t a

motion to table the question out of order

at this time?” 3. not operating; broken.

The coffee machine is out of order. It takes

your money and gives you no coffee. We

will have to use the stairs. The elevator is

out of order.

out of place 1. not in a proper place.

The salt was out of place in the cupboard,

so I couldn’t find it. Billy, you’re out of

place. Please sit next to Tom. 2. improper

and impertinent; out of line. That kind

of behavior is out of place in church.

Your rude remark is quite out of place.

out of practice performing poorly due to

a lack of practice. I used to be able to

play the piano extremely well, but now I’m

out of practice. The baseball players lost

the game because they were out of practice.

out of print [for a book] to be no longer

available for sale from the publisher.

The book you want is out of print, but per-

haps I can find a used copy for you. It

was published nearly ten years ago, so it’s

probably out of print.

out of proportion Go to in proportion.

out of reach 1. not near enough to be

reached or touched. Place the cookies

out of reach, or Bob will eat them all.

The mouse ran behind the piano, out of

reach. The cat just sat and waited for it.

2. unattainable. I wanted to be presi-

dent, but I’m afraid that such a goal is out

of reach. I shall choose a goal that is not

out of reach.

out of season 1. not now available for sale.

(The opposite of in season. Compare this

with off season.) Sorry, oysters are out

of season. We don’t have any. Water-

melon is out of season in the winter. 2. not

now legally able to be hunted or caught.

Are salmon out of season? I caught a

trout out of season and had to pay a fine.

out of service inoperable; not now oper-

ating. Both elevators are out of service,

so I had to use the stairs. The washroom

is temporarily out of service.

out of shape and out of condition not in

the best physical condition. I get out

of breath when I run because I’m out of

Keep exercising regularly, or

you’ll get out of condition.

out of sight 1. not visible. (Especially with

get, keep, or stay.) The cat kept out of

sight until the mouse came out. “Get out

of sight, or they’ll see you!” called John. 2.

[for a price to be] very high. (Informal.)

I won’t pay this bill. It’s out of sight.

The estimate was out of sight, so I didn’t

accept it. 3. figuratively stunning, unbe-

lievable, or awesome. (Slang.) Wow,

this music is out of sight! What a wild

party—out of sight!

Out of sight, out of mind. If you do not

see something, you will not think about

it. (Proverb.) When I go home, I put my

schoolbooks away so I won’t worry about

doing my homework. After all, out of sight,

out of mind. Jane dented the fender on

her car. It’s on the right side, so she does-

n’t have to look at it. Like they say, out of

sight, out of mind.

out of sorts not feeling well; grumpy and

irritable. I’ve been out of sorts for a day

or two. I think I’m coming down with

something.  The baby is out of sorts.

Maybe she’s getting a tooth.

out of spite with the desire to harm some-

one or something. Jane told some evil

gossip about Bill out of spite. That was

not an accident! You did it out of spite.

out of step (with someone or something) 1.

and out of time (with someone or some-

thing) [marching or dancing] out of ca-

dence with someone else. You’re out of

step with the music. Pay attention, Ann.

You’re out of time. 2. not as up-to-date

as someone or something. John is out

of step with the times. Billy is out of step

with the rest of the class.

out of stock not immediately available in

a store; [for goods] to be temporarily un-

available. Those items are out of stock,

but a new supply will be delivered on

Thursday. I’m sorry, but the red ones are

out of stock. Would a blue one do?

out of style and out of fashion not fash-

ionable; old-fashioned; obsolete. John’s

clothes are really out of style. He does-

n’t care if his clothes are out of fashion.

out of the blue Go to out of a clear blue

out of the corner of one’s eye [seeing

something] at a glance; glimpsing (some-

thing). I saw someone do it out of the

corner of my eye. It might have been Jane

who did it. I only saw the accident out

of the corner of my eye. I don’t know who

is at fault.

out of the frying pan into the fire from

a bad situation to a worse situation. (Of-

ten with jump.) When I tried to argue

about my fine for a traffic violation, the

judge charged me with contempt of court.

I really went out of the frying pan into the

fire. I got deeply in debt. Then I really

got out of the frying pan into the fire when

I lost my job.

out of the hole out of debt. (Also literal.

Informal.) I get paid next week, and

then I can get out of the hole. I can’t

seem to get out of the hole. I keep spend-

ing more money than I earn.

out of the ordinary unusual. It was a

good meal, but not out of the ordinary.

Your report was nicely done, but nothing

out of the ordinary.

out of the question not possible; not per-

mitted. I’m sorry, but it’s out of the

question. You can’t go to Florida this

spring. We can’t afford it. It’s out of the

question.

out of the red out of debt. (Informal.)

This year our company is likely to get out

of the red before fall. If we can cut down

on expenses, we can get out of the red fairly

soon.

out of the running no longer being con-

sidered; eliminated from a contest.

(Compare this with in the running.)

After the first part of the diving meet, three

members of our team were out of the run-

ning. After the scandal was made pub-

lic, I was no longer in the running. I pulled

out of the election.

out-of-the-way not on the regular route;

following a different, more awkward,

route. They live on a quiet, out-of-the-

way street. I know an out-of-the-way

little restaurant on Maple Street.

out of thin air out of nowhere; out of

nothing. (Informal.) Suddenly—out of

thin air—the messenger appeared. You

just made that up out of thin air.

out of this world wonderful; extraordi-

nary. This pie is just out of this world.

Look at you! How lovely you look—sim-

ply out of this world.

out of time (with someone or something) Go

to out of step (with someone or something).

out of touch (with someone or something) 1.

[with someone] no longer talking to or

writing to someone; knowing no news of

someone. I’ve been out of touch with

my brother for many years. We’ve been

out of touch for quite some time. 2. [with

something] not keeping up with the de-

velopments of something. I’ve been out

of touch with automobile mechanics for

many years. I couldn’t go back into me-

chanics because I’ve been out of touch for

too long.

out of work unemployed, temporarily or

permanently. How long have you been

out of work? My brother has been out

of work for nearly a year.

out on a limb in a dangerous position; tak-

ing a chance. (Also literal.) I don’t want

to go out on a limb, but I think I’d agree

to your request. She really went out on

a limb when she agreed.

out on bail out of jail because bail bond

money has been paid. (The money will

be forfeited if the person who is out on

bail does not appear in court at the

proper time. See also jump bail.) Bob

is out on bail waiting for his trial. The

robber committed another crime while out

on bail.

out on parole out of jail but still under po-

lice supervision. Bob got out on parole

after serving only a few years of his sen-

tence. He was out on parole because of

good behavior.

out to lunch 1. eating lunch away from

one’s place of work or activity.

sorry, but Sally Jones is out to lunch. May

I take a message? She’s been out to lunch

for nearly two hours. When will she be

back? 2. and out of it not alert; giddy;

uninformed. (Slang.) Bill is really out

of it. Why can’t he pay attention? Don’t

be so out of it, John. Wake up! Ann is

really out to lunch these days.

out West in the western part of the United

States. (See also back East, down South,

up North.) We lived out West for nearly

ten years. Do they really ride horses out

West?

outgrow something 1. to get too big for

something. Tom outgrew all his clothes

in two months. The plant outgrew its

pot. 2. to become too mature for some-

thing. I outgrew my allergies. The

boys will outgrow their toys.

outguess someone to guess what someone

else might do; to predict what someone

might do. I can’t outguess Bill. I just

have to wait and see what happens.

Don’t try to outguess John. He’s too sharp

and tricky.

outside of something except for something;

besides something. (Also literal.) Out-

side of the cost of my laundry, I have prac-

tically no expenses. Outside of some new

shoes, I don’t need any new clothing.

outside the box 1. as if not bound by old,

nonfunctional, or limiting structures,

rules, or practices. (An adverb. Compare

this with inside the box.) You need to

move your discussions outside the box and

get away from silly limitations. Noth-

ing can be done outside the box in such a

rigid intellectual environment. 2. not

bound by old, nonfunctional, or limiting

structures, rules, or practices. (Usually

outside-the-box. An adjective.) You

have some really outside-the-box ideas,

Ralph. After some long, outside-the-box

discussions, we arrived at a creative

solution.

once

once and for all finally and irreversibly.

I want to get this problem settled once

and for all. I told him once and for all

that he has to start studying.

once in a blue moon very rarely. Sel-

dom go to a movie—maybe once in a blue

moon. I don’t go into the city except once

in a blue moon.

once-in-a-lifetime chance a chance that

will never occur again in one’s lifetime.

This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance.

Don’t miss it. She offered me a once-in-

a-lifetime chance, but I turned it down.

once in a while Go to (every) now and

then.

once upon a time once in the past. (A for-

mula used to begin a fairy tale.) Once

upon a time, there were three bears.

Once upon a time, I had a puppy of my own.

one and all everyone. “Good morning

to one and all,” said Jane as she walked

through the outer office. Let’s hope that

this turns out to be a wonderful party for

one and all.

the one and only the famous and talented

(person). (Used in theatrical introduc-

tions. See also my one and only. ) And

now—the one and only—Jane Smith!

Let’s have a big hand for the one and only

Bob Jones!

one and the same the very same person

or thing. John Jones and J. Jones are one

and the same. Men’s socks and men’s

stockings are almost one and the same.

one at a time Go to one by one.

one by one and one at a time the first

one, then the next one, then the next one,

etc.; one at a time; each in turn. I have

to deal with problems one by one. I can’t

handle them all at once. Okay, just take

things one at a time. The children came

into the room one by one. Fred peeled

potatoes one by one, hating every minute

of it.

one for the (record) books a record-

breaking act. What a dive! That’s one

for the record books. I’ve never heard

such a funny joke. That’s really one for the

books.

One good turn deserves another. A good

deed should be repaid with another good

deed. (Proverb.) If he does you a favor,

you should do him a favor. One good turn

deserves another. Glad to help you out.

One good turn deserves another.

one in a hundred Go to one in a thousand.

one in a million Go to one in a thousand.

one little bit any at all; at all. (Also literal.)

Jean could not be persuaded to change

her mind one little bit. I don’t want to

hear anything more about it. Not even one

little bit.

One man’s meat is another man’s poi-

son. One person’s preference may be dis-

liked by another person. (Proverb.)

John just loves his new fur hat, but I think

it is horrible. Oh, well, one man’s meat is

another man’s poison. The neighbors are

very fond of their dog even though it’s ugly,

loud, and smelly. I guess one man’s meat

is another man’s poison.

One man’s trash is another man’s trea-

sure. Something that one person con-

siders worthless may be considered valu-

able by someone else. (Proverb.)

Why would anyone want to hang a picture

like that on the wall? A: One man’s trash

is another man’s treasure. A: Bob’s un-

cle is always going through people’s gar-

bage, looking for old stuff. B: One man’s

trash is another man’s treasure.

one-night stand an activity lasting one

night. (Informal. Refers to either a mu-

sical performance or a period of sexual

activity.) Our band has played a lot of

one-night stands. What we want is an

engagement for a week, not just a one-

night stand.

one of these days someday; in some sit-

uation like this one. One of these days,

someone is going to steal your purse if you

don’t take better care of it. You’re going

to get in trouble one of these days.

one sandwich short of a picnic not very

smart; lacking sufficient intelligence.

(Jocular.) Poor Bob just isn’t too bright.

He’s one sandwich short of a picnic. She

not stupid. Just one sandwich short of a

picnic.

One thing leads to another. One event

sets things up for another event and so

on. (As an explanation of how little prob-

lems lead to big problems.) I kept

spending more and more money until I

was broke. You know how one thing leads

to another.  He bought a car, then a

house, then a boat. One thing leads to

another.

one thing or person after another a series of

things or people that seems without limit.

It’s just one problem after another.

One customer after another has been buy-

ing shoes today!

one to a customer each person can have

or receive only one. (Refers to sales re-

strictions where each customer is per-

mitted to buy only one.) “Only one to

a customer!” said the chef as he handed

out the hamburgers. Is it one to a cus-

tomer, or can I take two now?

One’s bark is worse than one’s bite. One

may threaten, but not do much damage.

(Proverb.) Don’t worry about Bob. He

won’t hurt you. His bark is worse than his

bite. She may scream and yell, but have

no fear. Her bark is worse than her bite.

one’s better half one’s spouse. (Usually

refers to a wife.) I think we’d like to

come for dinner, but I’ll have to ask my

better half. I have to go home now to my

better half. We are going out tonight.

one’s brother ’s keeper someone responsi-

ble for someone else. (Preceded by be, be-

come, seem like, or act like.) I can’t force

these kids to go to school and get an edu-

cation so they can get jobs. I am not my

brother’s keeper. You can’t expect me to

be my brother’s keeper. Each of us should

be responsible!

one’s daily dozen physical exercises done

every day. (Informal.) My brother al-

ways feels better after his daily dozen.

She would rather do her daily dozen than

go on a diet.

one’s days are numbered one faces death

or dismissal. If I don’t get this contract,

my days are numbered at this company.

Uncle Tom has a terminal disease. His

days are numbered.

one’s deepest sympathy one’s very sincere

sympathy. I am so sorry about the death

of your father. You have my deepest sym-

pathy. She sent her deepest sympathy to

the family.

one’s ears are red one’s ears are red from

embarrassment. (Also used figuratively.)

I’m so embarrassed. Wow, are my ears

red! My ears are red! I can’t believe I

said that.

one’s ears are ringing one hears a ringing

sound because of exposure to an explo-

sion, very loud music, or some other very

loud sound. After the explosion, my ears

were ringing for hours. My ears are ring-

ing because I have a cold.

oneself again healthy again; calm again; re-

stored. (Preceded by be, become, seem

like, or act like.) After such a long ill-

ness, it’s good to be myself again. I’m

sorry that I lost my temper. I think I’m my-

self again now.

One’s eyes are bigger than one’s stomach.

One has taken more food than one can

eat. I can’t eat all this. I’m afraid that

my eyes were bigger than my stomach.

Try to take less food. Your eyes are bigger

than your stomach at every meal.

one’s fair share a share of something that is

equal to what others get or in proportion

to what is deserved. Let him take more.

He didn’t get his fair share. I want my

fair share. You cheated me! Give me some

more!

one’s for the asking one’s property if one

asks for it. I have a cherry pie here. A

slice is yours for the asking if you want it.

Uncle Mac said we could have his old

car if we wanted it. It was ours for the

asking.

one’s heart goes out to someone one feels

compassion for someone. My heart

goes out to those starving children I see on

television. We are so sorry. Our hearts

go out to you.

one’s heart is (dead) set against something

one is totally against something. Jane’s

heart is set against going there. We are

dead set against it.

one’s heart is in one’s mouth one feels

strongly emotional (about someone or

something). “Gosh, Mary,” said John,

“my heart is in my mouth whenever I see

you.” My heart is in my mouth when-

ever I hear the national anthem. It was

a touching scene. My heart was in my

mouth the whole time.

one’s heart is in the right place one has

good intentions, even if the results are

bad. (See also have one’s heart in the right

place.) She gave it a good try. Her heart

was in the right place. He is awkward,

but his heart is in the right place.

one’s heart is set on something one desires

and expects something. Jane’s heart is

set on going to London. My heart is set

on returning home.

one’s heart misses a beat and one’s heart

skips a beat one’s heart is fluttering or

palpitating. Whenever I’m near you, my

heart skips a beat. When the racehorse

fell, my heart missed a beat.

one’s heart skips a beat Go to one’s heart

misses a beat.

one’s heart stands still one’s heart (figu-

ratively) stops beating because of strong

emotions. When I first saw you, my

heart stood still. My heart will stand

still until you answer.

one’s luck runs out one’s good luck stops.

My luck ran out, so I had to come home.

She will quit gambling when her luck

runs out.

one’s name is mud one is in trouble or hu-

miliated. (Slang.) If I can’t get this con-

tract signed, my name will be mud. His

name is mud ever since he broke the crys-

tal vase.

one’s nose is in the air one is acting con-

ceited or aloof. (Note the variation with

always. See also have one’s nose in the air.)

Mary’s nose is always in the air. Her

mother’s nose was always in the air, too.

one’s number is up one’s time to die—or to

suffer some other unpleasantness—has

come. (Informal.) John is worried. He

thinks his number is up. When my num-

ber is up, I hope it all goes fast.

one’s old stamping ground the place where

one was raised or where one has spent a

lot of time. (Folksy. There are variants

with stomping and grounds.)   Ann

should know about that place. It’s near her

old stamping ground. I can’t wait to get

back to my old stomping grounds.

one’s way of life one’s lifestyle; one’s pat-

tern of living. That kind of thing just

doesn’t fit into my way of life. Our way

of life includes contributing to worthy

causes.

one’s work is cut out for one one’s task is

prepared for one; one has a lot of work to

do. (See also have one’s work cut out for

one.) This is a big job. My work is cut out

for me. The new president’s work is cut

out for him.

only have eyes for someone to be loyal to

only one person, in the context of ro-

mance. Oh, Jane! I only have eyes for

you! Don’t waste any time on Tom. He

only has eyes for Ann.

onto someone or something having discovered

the truth about someone or something.

(Informal.) The police are onto John’s

plot. Yes, they are onto him, and they

are onto the plot.

open a conversation to start a conversa-

tion. (See also strike up a conversation.)

I tried to open a conversation with him,

but he had nothing to say. She opened

a conversation with an inquiry into my

health, which got me talking about my fa-

vorite subject.

open and aboveboard Go to aboveboard.

an open-and-shut case something, usu-

ally a legal matter, that is simple and

straightforward without complications.

The murder trial was an open-and-shut

case. The defendant was caught with the

murder weapon.  Jack’s death was an

open-and-shut case of suicide. He left a

suicide note.

an open book someone or something that

is easy to understand. Jane’s an open

book. I always know what she is going to

do next. The council is an open book.

It wants to save money.

open fire (on someone) to start (doing

something, such as asking questions or

criticizing). (Refers to starting to shoot at

someone.) The reporters opened fire on

the mayor. When the reporters opened

fire, the mayor was smiling, but not for

long.

open for business [of a shop, store,

restaurant, etc.] operating and ready to

do business. The store is now open for

business and invites you to come in. The

construction will be finished in March,

and we will be open for business in April.

open one’s heart (to someone) to reveal one’s

inmost thoughts to someone. I always

open my heart to my spouse when I have

a problem. It’s a good idea to open your

heart every now and then.

open Pandora’s box to uncover a lot of

unsuspected problems. When I asked

Jane about her problems, I didn’t know I

had opened Pandora’s box. You should

be cautious with people who are upset. You

don’t want to open Pandora’s box.

open season (on someone or something) 1.

[with something] unrestricted hunting of

a particular game animal. It’s always

open season on rabbits around here. Is

it ever open season on deer? 2. [with some-

one] a time when everyone is criticizing

someone. (Informal. See also open fire

(on someone).) It seems as if it’s always

open season on politicians. At the news

conference, it was open season on the

mayor.

open secret something that is supposed to

be secret but is known to a great many

people. Their engagement is an open se-

cret. Only their friends are supposed to

know, but in fact, the whole town knows.

It’s an open secret that Max is looking

for a new job.

open someone’s eyes (to something) 1. to be-

come aware of something. He finally

opened his eyes to what was going on.

It was a long time before he opened his eyes

and realized what had been happening. 2.

to cause someone else to be aware of

something. I opened his eyes to what

was happening at the office. Why can’t

I make you understand? What do I have to

do to open your eyes to the problem?

open something up 1. to unwrap something;

to open something. Yes, I want to open

my presents up. T I can’t wait to open up

my presents. T Open up this door! 2. to

begin examining or discussing some-

thing. Do you really want to open it up

now? T Now is the time to open up the

question of taxes. 3. to reveal the possi-

bilities of something; to reveal an op-

portunity. Your letter opened new pos-

sibilities up. T Your comments opened up

a whole new train of thought. 4. to start

the use of something, such as land, a

building, a business, etc. They opened

the coastal lands up to cotton planting. T

We opened up a new store last March. 5.

to make a vehicle go as fast as possible.

(Informal.) We took the new car out on

the highway and opened it up. T I’ve never

really opened up this truck. I don’t know

how fast it’ll go. 6. to make something less

congested. They opened the yard up by

cutting out a lot of old shrubbery. T We

opened up the room by taking the piano

open the door to something to permit or al-

low something to become a possibility.

(Also literal.) Your policy opens the door

to cheating. Your statement opens the

door to John’s candidacy.

open to something agreeable to hear or learn

about new ideas and suggestions. The

store owner was open to suggestions from

her employees. We are always open to

new ideas.

open (up) a can of worms to uncover a

set of problems; to create unnecessary

complications. (Informal. Can of worms

means “mess.” Also with various modi-

fiers such as new, whole, another, as in the

examples. Compare this with open Pan-

dora’s box.) Now you are opening a

whole new can of worms. How about

cleaning up this mess before you open up

a new can of worms?

open up (on someone or something) to attack

someone or something; to fire a gun or

other weapon at someone or something.

The sergeant told the soldiers to open up

on the enemy position.  “Okay, you

guys,” shouted the sergeant. “Open up!”

open up (to someone) and open up (with

someone) to talk frankly, truthfully, or in-

timately. Finally Sally opened up to her

sister and told her what the problem was.

Bill wouldn’t open up with me. He’s still

keeping quiet. At last, Sally opened up

and told everything.

open up (with someone) Go to open up (to

someone).

open with something to start out with some-

thing. (Usually said of a performance of

some type.) We’ll open with a love song

and then go on to something faster. The

play opened with an exciting first act, and

then it became very boring.

opening gambit an opening movement or

statement that is made to secure a posi-

tion that is to one’s advantage. The

rebel army’s opening gambit was to bomb

the city’s business district. The prosecu-

tion’s opening gambit was to call a witness

who linked the defendant to the scene of

the crime.

or else or suffer the consequences. Do

what I tell you, or else. Don’t be late for

work, or else!

or words to that effect or with other

words that have about the same meaning.

She told me I ought to read more care-

fully—or words to that effect. I was in-

structed to go to the devil, or words to that

effect.

on

on order ordered with delivery expected.

Your car is on order. It’ll be here in a few

weeks. I don’t have the part in stock, but

it’s on order.

on par (with someone or something) equal to

someone or something. Your effort is sim-

ply not on par with what’s expected from

you. These two reports are right on par.

on patrol Go to (out) on patrol.

on pins and needles anxious; in suspense.

(See also pins and needles.)I’ve been

on pins and needles all day, waiting for you

to call with the news. We were on pins

and needles until we heard that your plane

landed safely.

on probation 1. serving a period of pro-

bation. While Anne was on probation,

she reported to the police regularly. John

was on probation for a year. 2. serving a

trial period. All new members are on

probation for a year. I was on proba-

tion in my job for a full year before it be-

came permanent.

on purpose intentionally; in a way that is

meant or intended; not an accident.

The bully stepped on my foot on purpose.

Jealously, Jimmy destroyed Billy’s sand

castle on purpose.

on sale offered for sale at a special low

price. I won’t buy anything that’s not on

sale. I need a new coat, but I want to

find a nice one on sale.

on schedule at the expected or desired

time. The plane came in right on sched-

ule. Things have to happen on schedule

in a theatrical performance.

on second thought having given some-

thing more thought; having reconsidered

something. On second thought, maybe

you should sell your house and move into

an apartment. On second thought, let’s

not go to a movie.

on someone’s account because of someone.

Don’t do it on my account. They were

late on Jane’s account.

on someone’s back Go to on someone’s case.

on someone’s behalf Go to in behalf of some-

on someone’s case and on someone’s back

constantly criticizing someone. (Slang.

See also Get off someone’s case!) I’m

tired of your being on my case all the time.

It seems as if someone is always on his

back.

on someone’s doorstep Go to at someone’s

doorstep.

on someone’s or something’s last legs [for

someone or something] to be almost

worn out or finished. (Informal.) This

building is on its last legs. It should be torn

down. I feel as if I’m on my last legs. I’m

really tired.

on someone’s say-so on someone’s author-

ity; with someone’s permission. I can’t

do it on your say-so. I’ll have to get a writ-

ten request. BILL: I canceled the con-

tract with the ABC Company. BOB: On

whose say-so?

on someone’s shoulders on someone’s own

self. (Also literal. Usually with responsi-

bility.) Why should all the responsibil-

ity fall on my shoulders? She carries a

tremendous amount of responsibility on

her shoulders.

on someone’s way (somewhere) Go to on the

way (somewhere).

on speaking terms (with someone) on

friendly terms with someone. (Often in

the negative. Compare this with on good

terms (with someone).) I’m not on

speaking terms with Mary. We had a se-

rious disagreement. We’re not on speak-

ing terms.

on standby waiting for one’s turn, espe-

cially describing the status of travelers

who wait near a train, plane, or bus, hop-

ing that a seat will become available.

The passenger waited on standby for an

available seat. The agent was able to seat

all of the passengers on standby.

on target on schedule; exactly as predicted.

Your estimate of the cost was right on

target. My prediction was not on target.

on the air broadcasting (a radio or televi-

sion program). The radio station came

back on the air shortly after the storm.

We were on the air for two hours.

on the average generally; usually.

the average, you can expect about a 10 per-

cent failure rate. This report looks okay,

on the average.

on the ball alert, effective, and efficient.

(Slang.) Sally has a lot on the ball.

You’ve got to be on the ball if you want to

succeed in this business.

on the beam exactly right; thinking along

the correct lines. (Informal.) That’s the

right idea. Now you’re on the beam!

She’s not on the beam yet. Explain it to her

again.

on the bench 1. directing a session of

court. (Also literal. Said of a judge.) I

have to go to court tomorrow. Who’s on the

bench? It doesn’t matter who’s on the

bench. You’ll get a fair hearing. 2. sitting,

waiting for a chance to play in a game.

(In sports, such as basketball, football,

soccer, etc.) Bill is on the bench now. I

hope he gets to play. John played dur-

ing the first quarter, but now he’s on the

bench.

on the bias Go to on a bias.

on the blink Go to on the fritz.

on the block 1. on a city block.

the biggest kid on the block. We had a

party on the block last weekend. 2. on sale

at auction; on the auction block. We

couldn’t afford to keep up the house, so it

was put on the block to pay the taxes.

That’s the finest painting I’ve ever seen on

the block.

on the borderline in an uncertain position

between two statuses; undecided. (Also

literal.) Bill was on the borderline be-

tween an A and a B in biology. Jane was

on the borderline of joining the navy.

on the button exactly right; in exactly the

right place; at exactly the right time.

(Also literal. Informal.) That’s it! You’re

right on the button. He got here at one

o’clock on the button.

on the defensive overly ready to defend

oneself. John goes on the defensive when

his athletic ability is questioned.

child was on the defensive when ques-

tioned about cheating.

on the dot at exactly the right time. (Also

literal. Informal. Compare this with at

sometime sharp.) I’ll be there at noon on

the dot. I expect to see you here at eight

o’clock on the dot.

on the double very fast. (Informal.)

Okay, you guys. Get over here on the dou-

ble. Get yourself into this house on the

double.

on the eve of something just before some-

thing, possibly the evening before some-

thing. John decided to leave school on

the eve of his graduation. The team held

a party on the eve of the tournament.

on the face of it superficially; from the

way it looks. This looks like a serious

problem on the face of it. It probably is mi-

nor, however. On the face of it, it seems

worthless.

on the fence (about something) undecided.

(Informal.) Ann is on the fence about

going to Mexico. I wouldn’t be on the

fence. I’d love to go.

on the fritz and on the blink not operat-

ing; not operating correctly. (Slang.)

This vacuum cleaner is on the fritz. Let’s

get it fixed. How long has it been on the

blink?

on the go busy; moving about busily. (In-

formal.) I’m usually on the go all day

long. I hate being on the go all the time.

on the heels of something soon after some-

thing. (Informal.) There was a rain-

storm on the heels of the windstorm.

The team held a victory celebration on the

heels of their winning season.

on the horns of a dilemma bothered by

having to decide between two things,

people, etc. Mary found herself on the

horns of a dilemma. She didn’t know

which to choose. I make up my mind

easily. I’m not on the horns of a dilemma

very often.

on the hour at each hour on the hour

mark. I have to take this medicine every

hour on the hour. I expect to see you

there on the hour, not one minute before

and not one minute after.

on the house [something that is] given

away free by a merchant. (Also literal. In-

formal.) “Here,” said the waiter, “have

a cup of coffee on the house.” I went to

a restaurant last night. I was the 10,000th

customer, so my dinner was on the house.

on the job working; doing what one is ex-

pected to do. I’m always on the job

when I should be. I can depend on my

furnace to be on the job day and night.

on the level Go to (strictly) on the level.

on the lookout (for someone or something)

watchful for someone or something.

Be on the lookout for signs of a storm.

I’m on the lookout for John, who is due

here any minute. Okay, you remain on

the lookout for another hour.

on the loose running around free. (Infor-

mal.) Look out! There is a bear on the

loose from the zoo. Most kids enjoy be-

ing on the loose when they go to college.

on the make 1. building or developing; be-

ing made. (Informal.) There is a com-

pany that is on the make. That was a

very good sales strategy, John. You’re a

real-estate agent on the make. 2. making

sexual advances; seeking sexual activities.

(Slang.) It seems like Bill is always on

the make. He should meet Sally, who is

also on the make.

on the market available for sale; offered

for sale. (Compare this with on the

I had to put my car on the mar-

ket. This is the finest home computer on

the market.

on the mend getting well; healing.

cold was terrible, but I’m on the mend

now. What you need is some hot chicken

soup. Then you’ll really be on the mend.

on the money and on the nose in exactly

the right place; in exactly the right

amount (of money). (Also literal. Slang.)

That’s a good answer, Bob. You’re right

on the money. This project is going to be

finished right on the nose.

on the move moving; happening busily.

What a busy day. Things are really on the

move at the store. When all the buffalo

were on the move across the plains, it must

have been very exciting.

on the nose Go to on the money.

on the off-chance because of a slight pos-

sibility that something may happen,

might be the case; just in case. I went

to the theater on the off-chance that there

were tickets for the show left. We didn’t

think we would get into the stadium, but

we went anyway on the off-chance.

on (the) one hand from one point of view;

as one side (of an issue). On one hand,

I really ought to support my team. On the

other hand, I don’t have to time to attend

all the games. On the one hand, I need

Ann’s help. On the other hand, she and I

don’t get along very well.

on the other hand from another point of

view; as the other side (of an issue). See

the examples for on (the) one hand.

on the point of doing something and at the

point of doing something ready to start do-

ing something. (Compare this with on

the verge (of doing something).) I was just

on the point of going out the door. We

were almost at the point of buying a new car

on the QT quietly; secretly. (Informal.)

The company president was making pay-

ments to his wife on the QT. The mayor

accepted a bribe on the QT.

on the right track following the right set

of assumptions. (Refers to following the

right trail.) Tom is on the right track

and will solve the mystery soon. You are

on the right track to find the answer.

on the rocks 1. in a state of destruction

or wreckage. (Refers to a ship stranded

on the rocks.) I hear their marriage is

on the rocks.  The company is on the

rocks and may not survive. 2. [poured]

onto ice cubes in a glass. Joan prefers

her drinks on the rocks. Could I have a

scotch on the rocks?

on the spot 1. at exactly the right place;

at exactly the right time. (Also literal. In-

formal. See also Johnny-on-the-spot.)

It’s noon, and I’m glad you’re all here on

the spot. Now we can begin. I expect you

to be on the spot when and where trouble

arises. 2. in trouble; in a difficult situa-

tion. (Informal. Compare this with on

the hot seat.) There is a problem in the

department I manage, and I’m really on

the spot. I hate to be on the spot when

it’s not my fault.

on the spur of the moment suddenly;

spontaneously. We decided to go on the

spur of the moment. I had to leave town

on the spur of the moment.

on the strength of something because of the

support of something, such as a promise

or evidence; due to something. On the

strength of your comment, I decided to give

John another chance. On the strength

of my testimony, my case was dismissed.

on the take accepting bribes. (Slang.)

don’t believe that the mayor is on the take.

The county clerk has been on the take

for years.

on the tip of one’s tongue about to be said;

almost remembered. (Also literal. See

also have something on the tip of one’s

tongue.) It’s right on the tip of my

tongue. I’ll think of it in a second. The

answer was on the tip of my tongue, but

Ann said it first.

on the track of someone or something Go to

on the trail of someone or something.

on the trail of someone or something and on

the track of someone or something seeking

someone or something; about to find

someone or something. I’m on the trail

of a new can opener that is supposed to be

easier to use. I spent all morning on the

track of the new secretary, who got lost on

the way to work.

on the up-and-up Go to (strictly) on the

up-and-up.

on the verge (of doing something) just about

to do something, usually something im-

portant. (Compare this with on the point

of doing something .) I’m on the verge of

opening a shoe store. Tom was on the

verge of quitting school when he became

interested in physics. I haven’t done it

yet, but I’m on the verge.

on the wagon not drinking alcohol; no

longer drinking alcohol. (Also literal.)

None for me, thanks. I’m on the wagon.

Look at John. I don’t think he’s on the

wagon anymore.

on the warpath angry and upset (at some-

one). (Informal.) Oh, oh. Here comes

Mrs. Smith. She’s on the warpath again.

Why are you always on the warpath?

What’s wrong?

on the way (somewhere) and on someone’s

way (somewhere) along the route to some-

where. She’s now on the way to San

Francisco. Yes, she’s on the way.

on the way to doing something and on one’s

way to doing something in the process of

doing something. You’re on the way to

becoming a very good carpenter. She’s

on her way to becoming a first-class

sculptor.

on the whole generally; considering every-

thing. On the whole, this was a very

good day. Your work—on the whole—

is quite good.

on the wing while flying; while in flight.

(Refers to birds, fowl, etc., not people or

planes.) There is nothing as pretty as a

bird on the wing. The hawk caught the

sparrow on the wing.

on the wrong track going the wrong way;

following the wrong set of assumptions.

(Also literal.) You’ll never get the right

answer. You’re on the wrong track. They

won’t get it figured out because they are on

the wrong track.

on thin ice in a risky situation. (Also lit-

eral.) If you try that you’ll really be on

thin ice. That’s too risky. If you don’t

want to find yourself on thin ice, you must

be sure of your facts.

on time at the scheduled time; at the pre-

dicted time. The plane landed right on

time. We’ll have to hurry to get there

on time.

on tiptoe standing or walking on the front

part of the feet (the balls of the feet) with

no weight put on the heels. (This is done

to gain height or to walk quietly.) I had

to stand on tiptoe in order to see over the

fence. I came in late and walked on tip-

toe so I wouldn’t wake anybody up.

on top victorious over something; famous

or notorious for something. (Also literal.)

I have to study day and night to keep on

top. Bill is on top in his field.

on top of something 1. up-to-date on some-

thing; knowing about the current state of

something. (Informal.) Ask Mary. She’s

on top of this issue. This issue is con-

stantly changing. She has to pay attention

to it to stay on top of things. 2. in addition

to something. Jane told Bill he was dull.

On top of that, she said he was unfriendly.

On top of being dull, he’s unfriendly.

on top of the world Go to (feel) on top

of the world; (sitting) on top of the world.

on trial being tried in court. My sister is

on trial today, so I have to go to court.

They placed the suspected thief on trial.

on vacation away, taking a vacation; on

holiday. Where are you going on vaca-

tion this year? I’ll be away on vacation

for three weeks.

on view visible; on public display.

painting will be on view at the museum.

I’ll pull the shades so that we won’t be on

view.

O

occur to someone [for an idea or thought]

to come into someone’s mind. It oc-

curred to me that you might be hungry af-

ter your long journey. Would it ever oc-

cur to you that I want to be left alone?

an ocean of someone or something Go to

oceans of someone or something.

oceans of someone or something and an

ocean of someone or something a very large

amount of something. The naughty

student was in oceans of trouble. After

a week of vacation, there was an ocean of

work to do.

odd man out an unusual or atypical per-

son or thing. I’m odd man out because

I’m not wearing a tie. You had better

learn to work a computer unless you want

to be odd man out.

the odd something an extra or spare some-

thing. The tailor repaired the odd loose

button on my shirt. When I travel, I

might buy the odd trinket or two, but I

never spend much money.

odds and ends small, miscellaneous

things. There were lots of odds and ends

in the attic, but nothing of real value. I

had the whole house cleaned up except for

a few odds and ends that didn’t seem to be-

long anywhere.

odor of sanctity an atmosphere of exces-

sive holiness or piety. I hate their house.

There’s such an odor of sanctity, with

Bibles and religious pictures everywhere.

People are made nervous by Jane’s odor

of sanctity. She’s always praying for peo-

ple or doing good works and never has any fun

of age old enough to marry or to sign le-

gal agreements. (See also come of age.

Preceded by be or seem.) Now that

Mary is of age, she can buy her own car.

When I’m of age, I’m going to get married

and move to the city.

of all the nerve how shocking; how dare

(someone). (Informal. The speaker is ex-

claiming that someone is being very

cheeky or rude.) How dare you talk to

me that way! Of all the nerve! Imagine

anyone coming to a formal dance in jeans.

Of all the nerve!

of all things Can you imagine?; Imagine

that! (Folksy.) She wore jeans to the

dance. Of all things! Billy, stop eating

the houseplant! Of all things!

of benefit (to someone) serving someone

well; to the good of someone. I can’t

believe that this proposal is of benefit to

anyone. Oh, I’m sure it’s of benefit.

of interest (to someone) interesting to

someone. This is no longer of any in-

terest. This is of little interest to me.

of late lately. (Formal.) Have you seen

Sally of late? We haven’t had an oppor-

tunity to eat out of late.

of no avail Go to to no avail.

of one’s own accord and of one’s own free

will by one’s own choice, without coer-

cion. I wish that Sally would choose to

do it of her own accord. I’ll have to or-

der her to do it because she won’t do it of

her own free will.

of one’s own free will Go to of one’s own

accord.

of the first water [someone] of the finest

quality. (From the system of grading

pearls for quality.) She is a very fine

lady—a pearl of the first water. Tom is

of the first water—a true gentleman.

of the old school holding attitudes or

ideas that were popular and important in

the past, but which are no longer con-

sidered relevant or in line with modern

trends. Grammar was not much taught

in my son’s school, but fortunately he had

a teacher of the old school. Aunt Jane

is of the old school. She never goes out

without wearing a hat and gloves.

off again, on again Go to on again, off

again.

off and on Go to on and off.

off and running started up and going.

(Also literal, as in a footrace.) The car

was finally loaded by 9:30, and we were off

and running. The construction of the

building was going to take two years, but

we were off and running, and it appeared

we would finish on schedule.

off base unrealistic; inexact; wrong. (Also

literal in baseball.) I’m afraid you’re off

base when you state that this problem will

take care of itself. You’re way off base!

off campus not located on the grounds of

a college or university. Tom has an

apartment off campus. The dean is off

campus and cannot be reached.

off-center not exactly in the center or mid-

dle. The arrow hit the target a little off-

center.  The picture hanging over the

chair is a little off-center.

off chance slight possibility. I need your

phone number on the off chance I need

more help. There’s an off chance that we

might be hiring next month.

off-color 1. not the exact color (that one

wants). The book cover used to be red,

but now it’s a little off-color. The wall

was painted off-color. I think it was meant

to be orange. 2. in bad taste; rude, vulgar,

or impolite. That joke you told was off-

color and embarrassed me. The night-

club act was a bit off-color.

off duty not working at one’s job. (The op-

posite of on duty.) I’m sorry, I can’t talk

to you until I’m off duty. The police of-

ficer couldn’t help me because he was off

duty.

off like a shot away [from a place] very

quickly. He finished his dinner and was

off like a shot. The thief grabbed the

lady’s purse and was off like a shot.

off limits and out of bounds forbidden.

This area is off limits. You can’t go in

there. Don’t go there. It’s out of bounds.

That kind of behavior is off limits. Stop

it!

off one’s nut Go to off one’s rocker.

off one’s rocker and off one’s nut; off one’s

trolley crazy; silly. (Slang.) Sometimes,

Bob, I think you’re off your rocker. Good

grief, John. You’re off your nut. About

this time of the day, I go off my trolley. I

get so tired.

off one’s trolley Go to off one’s rocker.

off season not in the busy time of the year.

We don’t have much to do off season.

Things are very quiet around here off

season.

off someone or something goes someone or

something is leaving. (Said on the de-

parture of someone or something.) It’s

time to leave. Off I go. Sally looked at

the airplane taking off and said, “Off it

goes.”

off the air not broadcasting (a radio or

television program). The radio audi-

ence won’t hear what you say when you’re

off the air. When the performers were

off the air, the director told them how well

they had done.

off the (beaten) track in an unfamiliar

place; on a route that is not often trav-

eled. (See also off the track.) Their

home is in a quiet neighborhood, off the

beaten track. We like to stop there and

admire the scenery. It’s off the track, but

it’s worth the trip.

off-the-cuff spontaneous; without prepa-

ration or rehearsal. (Informal.) Her re-

marks were off-the-cuff, but very sensible.

I’m not very good at making speeches

off-the-cuff.

off the mark not quite exactly right.

answer was a little off the mark. You

were off the mark when you said we would

be a little late to the party. It was yester-

day, in fact!

off the record unofficial; informal.

is off the record, but I disagree with the

mayor on this matter. Although her

comments were off the record, the news-

paper published them anyway.

off the subject not concerned with the

subject being discussed. I got off the

subject and forgot what I was supposed to

be talking about. The speaker was off

the subject, telling about his vacation in

Hawaii.

off the top of one’s head [to state some-

thing] quickly and without having to

think or remember. (Informal.) I can’t

think of the answer off the top of my head.

Jane can tell you the correct amount off

the top of her head.

off the track 1. Go to off the (beaten)

track. 2. irrelevant and immaterial (com-

ments). I’m afraid you’re off the track,

John. Try again. I’m sorry. I was think-

ing about dinner, and I got off the track.

off-the-wall odd; silly; unusual. (Slang.)

Why are you so off-the-wall today? This

book is strange. It’s really off-the-wall.

off to a running start with a good, fast be-

ginning, possibly a head start. I got off

to a running start in math this year. The

horses got off to a running start.

off to one side beside (something);

(moved) slightly away from something.

Our garden has roses in the middle and

a spruce tree off to one side. He took me

off to one side to tell me the bad news.

oil someone’s palm Go to grease someone’s

palm.

old as the hills Go to (as) old as the hills.

old enough to be someone’s father Go to

old enough to be someone’s mother.

old enough to be someone’s mother and

old enough to be someone’s father as old

as someone’s parents. (Also literal. Usu-

ally a way of saying that a person is too

old.) You can’t go out with Bill. He’s old

enough to be your father! He married

a woman who is old enough to be his

mother.

Old habits die hard. It’s hard to stop do-

ing things that are part of a habit, espe-

cially a habit that one is trying to break.

(Proverb.) A: My grandfather still uses

hand signals when he turns right. B: Old

habits die hard. Old habits die hard and

bad one’s last even longer.

an old hand at doing something someone who

is experienced at doing something. (Pre-

ceded by be, become, seem like, or act

like.) I’m an old hand at fixing clocks.

He’s an old hand at changing diapers.

old hat old-fashioned; outmoded. (Infor-

mal. Preceded by be, become, or seem.)

That’s a silly idea. It’s old hat. Nobody

does that anymore. That’s just old hat.

[old stamping ground] Go to one’s old

stamping ground.

on a bias and on the bias on a diagonal

line; on a diagonal pathway or direction.

(Usually with reference to cloth.) The

panels of the dress were cut on a bias.

The seamstress sewed the fabric on the

bias.

on account [money paid or owed] on a

debt. I paid twelve dollars on account

last month. Wasn’t that enough? I still

have $100 due on account.

on active duty in battle or ready to go into

battle. (Military.) The soldier was on

active duty for ten months. That was a

long time to be on active duty.

on a diet trying to lose weight by eating

less food or specific foods. I didn’t eat

any cake because I’m on a diet. I’m get-

ting too heavy. I’ll have to go on a diet.

on a first-name basis (with someone)

knowing someone very well; good friends

with someone. I’m on a first-name ba-

sis with John. John and I are on a first-

name basis.

on a fool’s errand involved in a useless

journey or task. Bill went for an inter-

view, but he was on a fool’s errand. The job

had already been filled. I was sent on a

fool’s errand to buy some f lowers. I knew

the shop would be closed by then.

on again, off again and off again, on

again uncertain; indecisive. I don’t

know about the picnic. It’s on again, off

again. It depends on the weather. Jane

doesn’t know if she’s going to the picnic.

She’s off again, on again about it.

on a lark Go to for a lark.

on all fours on one’s hands and knees.

I dropped a contact lens and spent an hour

on all fours looking for it. The baby can

walk, but is on all fours most of the time

anyway.

on and off and off and on occasionally;

erratically; now and again. I feel better

off and on, but I’m not well yet. He only

came to class on and off.

on any account for any purpose; for any

reason; no matter what. (Compare this

with on no account.) On any account,

I’ll be there on time. This doesn’t make

sense on any account.

on approval for examination, with the

privilege of return. I ordered the mer-

chandise on approval so I could send it

back if I didn’t like it. Sorry, you can’t

buy this on approval. All sales are final.

on a shoestring with a very small amount

of money. We lived on a shoestring for

years before I got a good job. John trav-

eled to Florida on a shoestring.

on a splurge an instance of extravagant

spending. Bob went on a splurge and

bought a new car. Susan has been on

another spending splurge! Look at that new

furniture.

on a waiting list [with one’s name] on a

list of people waiting for an opportunity

to do something. (A can be replaced with

the.) I couldn’t get a seat on the plane,

but I got on a waiting list. There is no

room for you, but we can put your name

on the waiting list.

on behalf of someone Go to in behalf of

someone.

on bended knee with great humility. (The

form bended is obsolescent and occurs

now only in this phrase.) Do you ex-

pect me to come to you on bended knee and

ask you for forgiveness? The suitors came

on bended knee and begged the attention

of the princess.

on board 1. aboard (on or in) a ship, bus,

airplane, etc. Is there a doctor on board?

We have a sick passenger. When every-

one is on board, we will leave. 2. employed

by (someone); working with (someone).

(Informal.) Our company has a com-

puter specialist on board to advise us about

automation. Welcome to the company,

Tom. We’re all glad you’re on board now.

on Broadway located in the Broadway the-

ater district of New York City; performed

in the Broadway theater district. Our

musical is the best thing on Broadway!

I want to be a star on Broadway someday.

on call ready to serve when called. I live

a very hard life. I’m on call twenty hours

a day.  I’m sorry, but I can’t go out

tonight. I’m on call at the hospital.

on campus located or being on the

grounds of a college or university. Do

you live on campus or off campus?  I

don’t think that Lisa is on campus right

now.

on cloud nine very happy. (Informal.)

When I got my promotion, I was on cloud

nine. When the check came, I was on

cloud nine for days.

on consignment [of goods] having been

placed in a store for sale, without trans-

ferring the title of the goods to the op-

erator of the store. The artist placed his

work in a gallery on consignment. I will

attempt to sell your clothing on

consignment.

on credit using credit; buying something

using credit. I tried to buy a new suit

on credit, but I was refused. The Smiths

buy everything on credit and are very

much in debt.

on dead center 1. at the exact center of

something. (Dead means “exact” here.)

The arrow hit the target on dead center

When you put the f lowers on the

table, put them on dead center. 2. exactly

correct. Mary is quite observant. Her

analysis is on dead center. My view is-

n’t on dead center, but it’s sensible.

on deck 1. on the deck of a boat or a ship.

Everyone except the cook was on deck

when the storm hit. Just pull up the an-

chor and leave it on deck. 2. ready (to do

something); ready to be next (at some-

thing). Ann, get on deck. You’re next.

Who’s on deck now?

on duty at work; currently doing one’s

work. (The opposite of off duty.) I can’t

help you now, but I’ll be on duty in about

an hour. Who is on duty here? I need

some help.

on earth and in creation; in the world

really; indeed; in fact. (Used as an inten-

sifier after who, what, when, where, how,

nothing, nowhere.) What on earth do

you mean? How in creation do you ex-

pect me to do that? Who in the world do

you think you are? When on earth do

you expect me to do this?

on easy street in luxury. (Slang.) If I

had a million dollars, I’d be on easy street.

Everyone has problems, even people who

live on easy street.

on edge 1. on (something’s own) edge.

Can you stand a dime on edge?  You

should store your records on edge, not f lat.

2. nervous. I have really been on edge

lately. Why are you so on edge?

on fire burning; being burned with flames.

Help! My car is on fire! That house

on the corner is on fire!

on foot by walking. My bicycle is bro-

ken, so I’ll have to travel on foot. You

can’t expect me to get there on foot! It’s

twelve miles!

on good terms (with someone) friendly

with someone. I’m on good terms with

Ann. I’ll ask her to help. We’re on good

terms now. Last week we were not.

on hold 1. waiting; temporarily halted.

(See also put someone or something on hold.)

The building project is on hold while we

try to find money to complete it. We put

our plans on hold until we finished school.

2. left waiting on a telephone line.

hate to call up someone and then end up

on hold. I waited on hold for ten min-

utes when I called city hall.

on horseback on the back of a horse.

Anne rode on horseback across the field.

Because they loved horses, the couple de-

cided to marry on horseback.

on impact Go to (up)on impact.

on impulse after having had an impulse or

sudden thought. On impulse, Bob de-

cided to buy a car. I didn’t need a cel-

lular telephone. I just bought it on impulse.

on in years Go to up in years.

on land on the soil; on the land and not at

sea. The f light was rough and I feel bet-

ter now that I am back on land. When

I am at sea, I feel more relaxed than when

I am on land.

on line 1. Go to in line. 2. connected to a

remote computer. As soon as I get on

line, I can check the balance of your ac-

count. I was on line for an hour before

I found out what I wanted to know.

on location a place, located in a place dis-

tant from the movie studio, where a

movie is filmed. This movie was shot

on location in Ontario. The actress went

on location in Spain for her latest film.

on medication taking medicine for a cur-

rent medical problem. I can’t drive the

car since I am on medication. He is on

medication and hopes to be well soon.

on no account and not on any account

for no reason; absolutely not. On no

account will I lend you the money. Will

I say I’m sorry? Not on any account.

on occasion occasionally. We go out for

dinner on occasion. I enjoy going to a

movie on occasion.

on one’s best behavior being as polite as

possible. When we went out, the chil-

dren were on their best behavior. I try

to be on my best behavior all the time.

on one’s feet 1. standing up. Get on your

feet. They are playing the national an-

them. I’ve been on my feet all day, and

they hurt. 2. well and healthy, especially

after an illness. I hope to be back on my

feet next week. I can help out as soon

as I’m back on my feet.

on (one’s) guard cautious; watchful.

on guard. There are pickpockets around

here. You had better be on your guard.

on one’s honor on one’s solemn oath; sin-

cerely. On my honor, I’ll be there on

time. He promised on his honor that

he’d pay me back next week.

on one’s mind occupying one’s thoughts;

currently being thought about. You’ve

been on my mind all day. Do you have

something on your mind? You look so

serious.

on one’s own by oneself. Did you do this

on your own, or did you have help? I

have to learn to do this kind of thing on my

own.

on one’s own time not while one is at work.

The boss made me write the report on

my own time. That’s not fair.  Please

make your personal telephone calls on your

own time.

on one’s person [of something] carried

with one. Always carry identification

on your person. I’m sorry, I don’t have

any money on my person.

on one’s toes alert. (Also literal. See also

step on someone’s toes.) You have to be

on your toes if you want to be in this busi-

ness. My boss keeps me on my toes.

on one’s way to doing something Go to on the

way to doing something.